Golden Globes and SAG beauties

Favourite award looks so far. Images from www.marieclaire.co.uk

Award season is one of my favourite times of the year. Being a drama student I like to make predictions who I think will win what award, do I agree with the choice of recipient, who will make an overly long speech and so on.

I also like to think about what I would wear if I ever were to attend one of the ceremonies. Unfortunately I have a tendency to be a little clumsy, so I would probably end up having a wardrobe malfunction Jennifer Lawrence style if someone stood on my dress too. Hopefully I would style it out well like she did.

The beauty and fashion lover inside loves this season too! We start to see hints of the catwalk Spring/Summer trends such as Jessica Alba's matte neon lips and a nod to the 1990s fresh skin as sported by Marion Cotillard and Claire Danes, as well as future red carpet hits such as the 1940s inspired waves as seen on Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox.

Ever since multi-award winner, and I expect soon to be an Oscar winner, Anne Hathaway cut her hair for the role of Fantine in Les Mis, I am excited to see how she will style her hair. Not that there was anything wrong with her previously long locks, I was just never excited by it, she was always hair safe in my eyes. Now though my opinion is changing. She looks young and fresh, there is more life in her eyes and we can see more of her amazing bone structure. Quite frankly I'd give Anne the Oscar for being brave enough to have her hair cut off live on set in one take! If that's not dedication to the role, I don't know what is!

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

http://www.becauseiamfabulous.com

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Whoever said that must have been the imitator. There’s nothing more annoying than finding something you love, debuting it in all its glory and then seeing a friend or an admirer wearing the exact same thing the next time you see them, or even worse if they look better wearing it than you do.

With the same trends being replicated in shops, from time to time you and a friend are likely to buy something either the same or very similar. I have friends that share a similar style to me, and I have others with completely different taste. My friends and I that have similar taste often gravitate towards the same colours, cuts and fabrics, so there have been occasions were two of us will turn up wearing pretty much matching outfits, completely unplanned. We laugh about it and joke ‘ooh I like your dress’ after all great friends shop alike! My best friend and I are so similar that we have an implemented rule that when shopping together if we both like the same thing, who ever saw it first gets to try it on first, and if they buy it the second see-er gets to borrow it. Handy, especially if you’re the same size.

It’s great when you have friends who have clothes that you love and can borrow, but occasionally you come across a style stealer. At school there was a girl, I’ll call her A, who copied a lot. There was a mix of styles and personalities in our group but A still managed to find a way to turn up in ‘what this old thing’ knowing very well that she had seen it on one of the girls before. I’d love to say she was subtle but she was always asking ‘where did you get that from?’ it got to the point where we would tell her it was from a different shop. There was another girl B, who would ring to find out what you were wearing to a party, and then turn wearing something suspiciously similar.

I know that sounds harsh, and it probably was, but style is very personal. So when someone starts to copy your exact clothes or even buying it in a different colour you can’t help but feel like they’re taking a part of you. Thing is A was a lovely girl and has one of the prettiest faces and a perfect hourglass figure, but what looked great on one girl didn't always look good on her. After years of us encouraging her to find her own style she eventually did. It took a few accompanied shopping trips but she looks great and like herself.

It’s not just girls who are bothered by it. I’ve overheard so many male conversations about what they’re wearing for a night out, trying to suss out if they should wear their check shirt or not, or who’s wearing a slogan t-shirt. I've even heard 'I can't wear my navy chinos, Tom wore navy chinos last week'. People want to look different and have their own identity.  

Imitation can be flattering, it’s nice to know people like things you wear, or a how you do your make-up. However, tread with caution if you want to try to copy their look. It’s like fashion trends, never go overboard just incorporate touches into your current wardrobe or look. If you think their styling is great, why not just ask them for tips, that’s the way to flatter a friend and I can guarantee they will be more than happy to help. If you’re a little shy of make-up, take your best make-up knowing friend to the nearest department store or Boots and spend an hour finding new colours or the right products for your skin tone. Shopping with friends is one of my greatest past-times, you encourage each other to try new things, play dress up, and sometimes you may even learn a thing or two from them. 

So no imitation is not the most sincerest form of flattery. Asking someone, or better being asked, to accompany a shopping trip, most definitely is. 

15 Minutes with Karl Willett

Hi guys,
Hope you're all wrapped up warm and cosy! I don't know about you but I've definitely had enough of the snow now. My road is like an ice rink and there's only so many times a girl can style out her 'trying not to fall over moves'!

Just a quick post this morning. It's a link to my interview I did last month for Label online at the Clothes Show, with the fashion theatre stylist, Karl Willett. He was one of the most genuine and most down-to-earth people I have interviewed, and gave some great advice for aspiring stylists wanting to make it in the industry. Click here to read my chat with Karl as we discuss everything from styling Paloma Faith to singing at the Olympics closing ceremony!

Hope you like it. Until next time.
Chloé x

Girl About Town

One of my favourite trends is having a colour overhaul. I have loved the dark vampy lips from the past season, and my staple going out look has been a block berry colour lip and barely-there eye make-up.  But this spring it’s all about pink. Fuchsia, cerise, hot pink and magenta are all on the wish list. Same bold statement, different bold colour.

Bright pink lips adorned the runways at Dries Van Noten, Missoni, Giles, and Richard Nicoll’s S/S 13 shows. This trend is definitely in my top three of the season. Bright colours can perk up a fair skin tone adding luminosity to dulled winter skin, and come summer they will look beautiful with a golden tan.

It’s a fun and playful trend so keep the rest of your make-up fairly minimal, a touch of nude or light gold on the eyes will complement the lip, but try to avoid the eyeliner you may end up looking a little Avril Lavigne circa 2004.

Below are some of my favourite bright pinks. I’ll be honest, not all five may work for you in the exact same way as me because I have quite fair skin, blue-green eyes and what can only be described as ‘bronde’ hair. I’m in between going from blonde to brown. However, I hope that there is at least one that appeals to you or you find a different shade from the brand that is perfect for you.  

Mac Amplified Lipstick in Girl About Town £14

I had to start with my ultimate pink! The pigmentation is amazing, goes on effortlessly, lasts all night and it even smells great. The blue undertones in it make it a great colour for pretty much every skin tone and not many lip colours can make that claim. It’s such a bold and feminine colour that makes you walk with just a little more confidence and is the perfect accompaniment to an outfit. I honestly think that Girl About Town is one of those products that every girl should have in her make-up bag.

   

 Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Fuchsia  £7.99

My initial reaction when I saw this was ‘Wow that’s such a good dupe for Girl About Town!’ It’s got a hint of shimmer to it so is the perfect colour for a night out with the girls, or push it into your lips with your fingers to get a stain for an understated daytime look.

  

 Topshop Lipstick Crayon in Clueless £7

I’ve been really impressed with Topshop’s make-up range over the last couple of years, and I’m pretty much in love with Clueless. It’s so pigmented yet really soft and easy to apply. Some heavily pigmented colours can be quite hard but this just glides on like a little dream! It reminds me of Lancome’s In Love but at a fraction of the cost. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and this is the perfect shade for the most romantic of celebrations.

 YSL Glossy Stain in Golden Fuchsia (number 14)  £22.50 

Ok so I know that it’s a little pricey, but for me it’s one of the best make-up investments I’ve made. They’ve had mixed reviews because of the texture and consistency, some people think it’s quite drying, but I think if you prep well then you should avoid that problem.  The trend leans more toward brighter poppy toned pinks, but this is more berry-toned. I think it’s amazing for night, but if you’re feeling brave wear it in the daytime. I love a simple outfit dressed up with a beautiful lip colour. Blot it and layer to get a matte finish or one layer to get a glossy look.

  Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart £7.99 

Sweet Tart is a beautiful hot pink but the consistency is on the sheer side so it’s perfect for making the trend much more wearable for daytime. Lip butters for those who aren’t too familiar, I think are the lip equivalent of a BB Cream. They’re not a tinted lip balm, nor a lipstick, they’re in between. They have the glossiness of a lip balm but similar colour pigmentation to lipstick.  The buttery texture also gives your lips a little TLC, which is perfect as lips need to be in good condition to pull of this eye catching look.

New Year, New Expectations

This post is a link to an article called New Year, New Expectations which I wrote for Label Online, (I am the editor of the Style section) and is in response to MP Jo Swinson's plea to magazines not to advertise miracle detoxs or diets in their January issues. I personally don't believe that magazines should be entirely responsible for the unrealistic expectations we have all at some point place on our bodies, but let me know what you think. It's been up for a while but I thought I would put a link to it on here as well.

Spring Launches

There’s something about the New Year that makes me want to overhaul my make-up routine and try something new. It’s out with the old and in with the new launches! So here are my top 5 Spring launches in the UK that I recommend keeping an eye out for over the next couple of months.

Lancóme is releasing a limited edition collection entitled ‘In Love’ which boasts the most gorgeous packaging I’ve seen for while. In Love is made up of neon pinks, corals and turquoises to perk up the dull months and complement the summer ahead. Two products I have my eye on are the In Love blusher, which has a fuchsia outer edge and a peachy inner square, which when blended together look like they would make the perfect corally blush. I also love the look of the eye pencil called Jade crush, I have a real thing about jewel toned colours at the moment, and with blue eye make-up is set to be a huge Spring/Summer trend this year I’d put money on it now and say that it will be a sell out. The collection’s campaign is fronted by Emma Watson, which makes me want to try it even more; I had Hermoine’s hair when I was 11, so I feel a sisterly bad-hair bond to the actress.

In Love launches 2^nd January and will be available at most Lancóme counters. Prices range from £12-34

 

image from joeychong.com

Rimmel is a much loved brand amongst beauty lovers everywhere, and this January they are launching a new lip product called Apocalips Lip Lacquer. I haven’t been this excited about a Rimmel launch since Kate Moss announced she was collaborating with the brand to do a range of lipsticks. I had a sneaky look at the Apocalips when I was working at More! a few weeks ago and I can honestly say these are some of the most pigmented glosses on the market. There are eight shades from pretty nudes to show-stopping corals and reds. The consistency is a little thick but the colour lasts for hours and has a great shine, I had colour samples on my hands that took ages to budge.  I think the bright colours such as ‘Big Bang’ (red) and ‘Nova’ (pink) would look great worn with little other make-up, which was a look seen at catwalk shows such as Giles and Burberry.

Acocalips launch on the 23^rd January and will priced around £5.99

                                                                         image Coty

In my opinion Benefit is one of the leading brands when it comes to colour for eyes and cheeks, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard they are launching a new eye palette this Sping. World Famous Neutrals will comprise of two cream based eye shadows and four powder eye shadows in a range of tones. The packaging is what you would expect; pretty, well thought out and looks the perfect addition to any dressing table. It is a little on the pricey side but you are getting six eye colours and when a single eye shadow costs around £14 from Benefit, it is worthwhile and works out just under £4 a colour.

World Famous Neutrals launch in the UK in March and are £23.50

                                                        image www.sephora.com 

If you haven’t heard about 2012’s BB craze then where have you been! But never fear because there is a new obsession to get on board with for 2013, the CC cream. CC stands for Colour Correcting and the first to launch the skincare that’s been huge in Asia, is L’Oreal. The L’Oreal Nude Magique CC creams serve different purposes depending on what you want to correct on your skin and they all have SPF 12 (added skincare bonus). There are three different creams to choose from; Anti- Redness, Anti-Fatigue and Anti-Dullness. With all my deadlines coming up before Easter I think Anti-Fatigue will be a welcome addition to my beauty desk, and I’ll be first out of the library to see if it lives up to its name!

There hasn’t been an official release date as of yet for the L’Oreal Nude Maguqie CC Creams but I will give you an update!

                                                        image www.fifi-les-bons-tuyaux.com

Clinique’s Chubby Sticks have been a bit of a cult product since they launched a couple of years ago.  However, the wait is nearly over for the follow up. February sees the launch of Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes (quite a long name!) and I’m hoping that they will live up to their hype. In my mind I’m dreaming for the same creaminess as their sister lip colour but with a little more pigmentation. From the pictures I’ve seen I think we’re in for a treat. There is a range of twelve colours to choose from including; Massive Midnight, Portly Plum, Fuller Fudge and Lots o’ Latte. Extra points awarded for the alliterative name.

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes launch on the 16^th February and priced at £16

http://www.chicprofile.com